SMITHFIELD – Rhode Island’s second and third Goodwill stores are now up and running after Thursday’s grand opening of the nonprofit’s newest location at 452 Putnam Pike.
In 2021, the nonprofit established the state’s first retail store on Quaker Lane in Warwick and last March opened another Warwick location on Warwick Avenue.
Christine Yankee, vice president of program services, on Thursday said the organization is also planning an outlet location at its Providence campus on Houghton Street sometime in July.
The North Haven, Conn.-based Goodwill of Southern New England merged with Goodwill Rhode Island in 2018, and uses its retail revenue among other resources to fund training and employment programs for disadvantaged citizens including those with physical and mental disabilities.
Under the national nonprofit organization Goodwill Industries International Inc., Goodwill Southern New England owns and operates 16 thrift stores and nine donations centers in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Founded in 1902 by Methodist minister the Rev. Edgar J. Helms, Goodwill Industries International served more than 1.7 million individuals worldwide in 2023 and trained more than 141,237 people, according to its most recent impact report.
The organization has a network of more than 150 autonomous organizations in North America and has a presence in Brazil, Finland, and Italy, among other countries.
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.